Overview

The 4th NCAR Study Tour, organized by the National Center for Art Research (NCAR) , was conducted in December 2024. This program is part of NCAR’s ongoing initiative to foster international networks among museums and art professionals by sending curators and researchers based in Japan to cultural institutions abroad. These study tours provide participants with opportunities to deepen their understanding of global curatorial practices and research areas.

The 4th tour focused on Australia, centering around the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial (APT11). Over the course of the tour, participants visited more than 11 cultural institutions including art museums, galleries, and independent art spaces, primarily showcasing modern and contemporary art. The delegation consisted of nine members: six curators and educators selected through an open call, and three researchers from the National Museum of Art in Japan.

Held from December 2 to 10, the 10-day tour spanned the cities of Brisbane and Sydney. Visits included major public museums such as the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGoMA), Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), as well as university museums, artist studios, and city-run art centers. This allowed the participants to engage with the Australian art landscape from multiple perspectives, exploring the distinct characteristics of each institution and space.

Engagement and Exchange

Throughout the tour, participants engaged in exchanges with a wide range of professionals including directors, curators, educators, and artists. In addition to gallery tours of exhibitions and collections, specialized staff provided insights tailored to each participant's area of expertise. These included behind-the-scenes visits to conservation studios, design studios, libraries, archives, and learning-focused spaces that are typically not open to the public.

Particularly notable was the depth of long-term, research-based practices in Australia surrounding the collection, presentation, and interpretation of works by Indigenous and regionally rooted artists. Participants were able to learn about the unique challenges and forward-looking initiatives of each institution in this area.

Looking ahead, NCAR remains committed to offering ongoing opportunities for professional exchange through future Study Tours. By cultivating deeper relationships among art professionals both in Japan and abroad, we aim to enhance Japan’s presence and contribution to the global art community.

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  Gathering at Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
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  Artist’s gallery tour at Griffith University Art Museum

Voices from Participants

“At QAGoMA, I was struck not only by the scale of the institution’s budget but also by the fact that they manage everything in-house—from exhibition planning and conservation to crating and signage production. This reflects the high expectations placed on museums by the public. Across all the sites we visited—museums, universities, galleries, studios, and incubator spaces—each had a clear identity and mission, and I sensed an organic collaboration across institutions. These networks seem highly effective in supporting artists’ and curators’ career development.”
— Kamegai Fumiaki, Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum

“Many of the exhibitions and artists we encountered during APT11 represented diverse, non-Western backgrounds—Papua New Guinean, Iranian, Chinese, and others—highlighting a strong awareness and commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Unlike some international exhibitions that rely on celebrity artists, APT builds its lineup with artists from across Asia and Oceania through steady research and communication. Its coherence and impact stood out. I also found it significant that APT is free of charge, allowing curatorial decisions to remain independent of ticket sales.”
— Osawa Sayoko, Yokohama Museum of Art

“I was deeply impressed by how the Art Gallery of NSW utilizes its collection. Their approach integrates local, Western, and Asia-Pacific narratives in a dynamic and resonant way. It offers much to learn, particularly in how it juxtaposes past and present. If displaying artworks by different traditions in separate rooms can reinforce divisions, then AGNSW’s attempt to dismantle such boundaries is a meaningful model.”
— Fukumoto Takashi, The National Museum of Art, Osaka

“The educational outreach at each museum we visited wasn’t framed as customer service or hospitality, but as a fundamental responsibility to ensure all people have the right to enjoy museums. Recognizing and responding to the diversity of citizens in a multicultural society naturally results in more accessible environments, even for international visitors. I intend to share these perspectives with my colleagues and use this opportunity to review and enhance our museum’s practices.”
— Seike Misato, Nagoya City Art Museum

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  Visiting Design Studio at QAGoMA
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  Visiting Library and Archive at Art Gallery of NSW
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  Gathering at Art Gallery of NSW

List of Visited Institutions (in order of visit)
Day 1 (Departure-Overnight flight)
Day 2（Brisbane）	Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGoMA)   - Ellie Buttrose, Curator, and others
Day 3（Brisbane）	Institute of Modern Art   - Robert Leonard, Director The Renshaw’s   - Ryan Renshaw, Owner, and Dane Mitchell, Artist Griffith University Art Museum   - Carrie McCarthy, Art Collection Manager, and Yuriyal Eric Bridgemen, Artist
Day 4（Brisbane）	University of Queensland Art Museum   - Kyle Weise, Curator, and others Milani Gallery   - Joshua Milani, Owner, Judy Watson, Megan Cope, Ruha Fifita and James Barth (Artists)
Day 5（Sydney）	Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW)   - Melanie Eastburn, Senior Curator, and others
Day 6（Sydney）	Parramatta Artists’ Studios   - Nithya Nagarajan, Curator, and 11 resident artists Pari Gallery   - Sehej Kaur Sehmbhi, Curator Artspace   - Tamara Henderson, Artist
Day 7（Sydney）	Free Research Day
Day 8（Sydney）	Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)   - Pedro de Almeida, Senior Curator, and others Creative Australia   - Mikala Tai, Head of Visual Arts
Day 9（Return-Overnight flight）

Participant List (Alphabetical by surname) *Affiliations are as of December 2024
CHIU Yu-Hsuan	Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Fukumoto Takashi	The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Kamegai Fumiaki	Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum
Osawa Sayoko	Yokohama Museum of Art
Sakita Asuka	Fukuoka Art Museum
Seike Misato	Nagoya City Art Museum
Shinfuji Atsushi	The National Museum of Western Art
Tanaka Naoko	Joshibi University of Art and Design Research Institute
Yun Jihye	The National Art Center, Tokyo